Some states have enacted legislation (i.e., so-called “bottle bills”) requiring that consumers pay a redemption deposit when purchasing beverages in certain types of containers. For example, some states impose redemption deposits of up to $0.15 for each can, bottle or other beverage container sold. The payment of a redemption deposit on a beverage container encourages the consumer to recycle the container, since the deposit is returned to the consumer when he/she brings the container to a return center for processing. In other states in which no redemption deposit is imposed by law, there have been extensive efforts to encourage consumers to voluntarily bring containers they have purchased to a return center for recycling.
At a return center, consumers may submit used beverage containers for recycling by, for example, feeding the containers individually to a reverse vending machine, providing them to an attendant, and/or dropping the containers off at a designated location. After containers are returned for recycling, the consumer may be provided value in exchange for the containers. For example, some reverse vending machines print a receipt for any containers returned, which the consumer may then exchange for legal tender (e.g., in the amount of the redemption deposit paid for the returned containers). If no redemption deposit was paid, then some other form of value may be provided to the consumer in exchange for the containers (e.g., coupons, store credits, “points,” promotional offers, etc.).
Some conventional arrangements enable a consumer to donate some or all of an amount provided in exchange for returned containers to a charitable organization. For example, some conventional reverse vending machines provide consumers with the option of either receiving a receipt for the total value of containers returned, or directing some or all of that amount to a charitable organization that is nominated by the reverse vending machine's operator (e.g., by pushing a button on the reverse vending machine indicating a desire to have the amount donated to the organization). Some other, less formal arrangements allow the consumer to drop a receipt or legal tender received in exchange for returned containers into a donation jar for a designated charitable organization.